In the wake of what’s happening at Penn State this week, I heard some people say it makes what Ohio State’s Jim Tressel did seem insignificant.

I think I might have even said that a couple of times myself.

Upon further review, what Tressel and now Penn State’s Joe Paterno did were exactly the same, even if their actions came at the end of polar opposite situations.

They hid the facts, whether in fear of tarnishing their legends or that of their schools. They ignored opportunities to stop behavior — in Paterno’s case, abhorrent — that was wrong.

Tressel also tried to impose a five-game ban on himself before being asked to step down. Paterno offered to retire at the end of the season, but was asked to leave now.

These are guys who spent too much time watching coaching film and paying attention to not much else.

Ohio State had a bunch of players hanging out at a seedy tattoo parlor trading memorabilia for tattoos, money and whatever.

If Tressel couldn’t stop that in a minute and a half — or even know it was going on — it suggests the university was way overpaying him.

Paterno had a much clearer path he didn’t take, instead allowing former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky to hang around with children in Penn State’s football complex.

In the end, he decided the greater public didn’t need to know what was going on at Penn State. He kept it quiet, and it continued.

Tressel did the same thing.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2157 or mkatz@DaytonDailyNews.com.